


The Mark

by Downward Stroke (casual_distance)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen, Humor, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 11:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7266550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casual_distance/pseuds/Downward%20Stroke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric’s mark is unique.  He can’t find anyone else that has anything like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mark

**Author's Note:**

> For the [OMGCP Challenge Trope #1: Soulmate AU](https://omgcp-tropechallenge.tumblr.com/post/146206868929/omgcp-challenge-trope-1-soulmate-au)
> 
> [my post on tumblr](http://downwardstroke.tumblr.com/post/146271094173/the-mark)

Eric didn't know of anyone who had initials. His parents had each other's names. His father even had "Suzanne" and not just the "Suzy" that he called her most frequently. His moo maw had his pa paw's full name too. Only one of Eric's cousins had a soulmate. She hadn’t known who her soulmate was because Elena had only known her by her dead name until the girl had come out. After that, Eric knew this meant that the marks _know_ , so Eric had always thought he’d have a boy’s name on his wrist. Not this.

Still, Eric did his best to find out what it could mean in the weeks following his sixteenth birthday. He couldn't find any stories of people having initials, though he did find a lot of stories about platonic soulmates, either because they were in love with other people, or because one or both were aromantic. He also found stories about people who had multiple soulmates. Some were in polyamorous relationships while others were on some sort of team or in a group.

But all those people had a list of names on their bodies, not initials.

Eric tried googling his initials, but that turned up nothing. He was fairly certain that his soulmate was not a ukulele or some kind of hand tool. If Eric's soulmate was going to be an object, well then it was going to be figure skates or pie, for goodness sake. 

As a last resort, Eric started scouring soulmate forums, looking to see if anyone had posted about having initials too. No one had, and so Eric resigned himself to fate and hoping that he would find his soulmate one day.

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, Eric didn't have to wait long at all. In fact, he had only to wait two years and countless pies later. It was standing in the kitchen of a rundown frat house, a line of overly tall teammates staring at him while he held a pie that it happened. Eric set the pie down and pulled off his oven mitts. He'd rolled his sleeves up and taken off the armband he wore to hide the tattoo. He hated getting questions about his mark, but he hated getting flour on the armband even more; it was damn near impossible to clean.

Eric turned, oven mitts in hand, and then three heavy hockey players were piling on top of him.

"Dude, brah, my man-" Shitty grunted in his ear, one arm wrapped dangerously high around his shoulders, threatening to choke him.

"Eric, we've waited so long for you," Holster moaned, his arms tight around Bitty's waist.

"Automatic dibs!" Ransom agreed, fingers digging into Bitty's side.

Eric wiggled, trying to free himself of the confusing mess of limbs. "What on Earth are y'all on about?" Eric exclaimed.

"Bro-" Holster said, eyes wide. He looked at Ransom, who nodded back, and then the two of them were dragging Eric down to the basement, Shitty following behind, yelling into his phone.  
Eric allowed himself to be led across the floor to the far wall where Holster and Ransom flung their arms out in dramatic presentation of a series of names and dates sharpied onto the wall.

Eric squinted at it. "What am I looking at?" he asked.

"These-" Ransom started.

"-are the Samwell Soulmates," Holster finished. 

Ransom nodded in agreement as Shitty slung his arm over Eric's shoulders. "These," he continued the explanation, "are all the players that came before us that were meant. To be. Here."

Eric frowned. "You called them soulmates."

Shitty let go of Eric to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ransom and Holster. Shitty spun around, dropped his pants, and bent over to expose his ass to Eric, who threw his hands up to block the view. 

"Dude, look," Ransom said. 

Reluctantly, Eric lowered his hands and looked. Ransom pointed to Shitty's ass- specifically to a dark mark on his ass. Eric leaned forward and realized what he was looking at. His mouth dropped open. His eyes shot up to look at Ransom, who grinned and hitched up the sleeve of his shirt. On the curve of his bicep sat the same initials. Holster lifted his shirt to show off the matching mark on his side.

Eric felt the smile grow on his face until his cheeks started to hurt. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of pounding footsteps. The four of them looked over to see Jack stumble down the stairs. He stomped up to Eric and leaned down to frown into his face.

"Let me see it."

Eric grinned and lifted his wrist, showing off the stark, black letters there.

Jack studied it for a moment before he nodded and straightened up. He pulled off his shirt to show off the letters on his chest, right over his heart.

SMHT

**Author's Note:**

> The Samwell Soulmates date back to founding of the hockey team. The first full team of 20 players all had the mark. After that, one or two of each year had the mark. The number of soulmates has waxed and waned over the years, but there are always some number of them in the Haus.
> 
> Johnson, Jack, Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, Holster, Bitty, Dex, Nursey, and Chowder all have the mark. Tango and Whiskey probably also have the mark, but they haven’t shared yet.
> 
> Lardo is the first non-player to have the mark, but she's also the first non-player to really be involved with the team to the extent that she is. While past managers have been involved with the team, Lardo is the first to really become good friends with them.


End file.
